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Now through June 20, New Yorkers getting jabbed at 11 different city-run vaccination centers will get to do so while reveling in the sound of some live music.
Dubbed "Music Heals," the program was launched alongside AFM Local 802 and it pays the hundreds of musicians on call with "fair wages and benefits under union guidelines," according to the official press release announcing the news. Each gig lasts about an hour.
"Understanding the value that art and music can have on healing, it’s only fitting that we now bring live performances to our COVID-19 vaccination sites across the city, all the while thanking the healthcare heroes who have played a vital role in our recovery," said Deputy Mayor Melanie Hartzog. "More and more New Yorkers will be able to enjoy these live performances in their more traditional setting in no time as more people roll up their sleeve for a vaccination."
Here is a list of all currently participating sites:
455 Jefferson - 455 Jefferson St., Brooklyn, NY 11237
Livonia - 453 Hinsdale St., Brooklyn, NY 11207
City Point Brooklyn - 445 Albee Square W, Brooklyn, NY 11201
The City College of New York - 1549 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10031
Essex Crossing - 244 Broome St., New York, NY 10002
Beach 39th - 39-20 Rockaway Beach Blvd., Far Rockaway, NY 11691
QLIC-Long Island City - 5-17 46th Rd., L.I.C., NY 11101
Ocean Breeze Park & Athletic Complex - 625 Father Capodanno Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10305
Edenwald YMCA - 1250 E. 229th St., Bronx, NY 10466
South Bronx Educational Campus - 701 St. Ann's Ave., Bronx, NY 10455
West Bronx Recreation Center - 1527 Jesup Ave., Bronx, NY 10452
Music and healing have always gone hand in hand, add to that the fact that New Yorkers haven't been able to enjoy live performances for over a year and the city's incentive to get jabbed becomes that much more palpable. This is, in fact, just the latest effort to entice New Yorkers to get vaccinated.
Yesterday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the creation of new pop-up sites at different subway stations and MTA hubs that will provide participants with free subway rides and MetroCards, for example. Last week, the Governor also made public the news that folks willing to get their shots at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field before attending a game will actually receive free tickets to Mets and Yankees events. One more thing: NYC attractions are giving out free tickets to their institutions following proof of vaccination. What are you still waiting for? Go get that shot.